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Biomedical subjects

P J Hubner

Publications and source records attributed to P J Hubner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Multicentre, prospective, randomized trial of 4 vs. 6 French catheters in 410 patients undergoing coronary angiography.

The aim of this study was to assess the quality of angiograms obtained using 4 Fr catheters compared with 6 Fr catheters, the ease of use of the 4 Fr catheters, and the safety of patient mobilization 1 hr following 4 Fr angiography. Details of catheter performance and procedural details were recorded at the time of the angiogram. The angiographic images were scored on the quality and completeness of vessel opacification throughout systole and diastole. A total of 410 patients were recruited. There was no difference between 4 and 6 Fr for procedural variables. All angiograms were considered to be of diagnostic quality. The angiographic scores for the right coronary artery and left ventricular injections were no different between 4 and 6 Fr. However, the angiographic scores for the left anterior descending and circumflex arteries were lower with 4 than with 6 Fr (both P < 0.05). Patients who had 4 Fr angiography mobilized safely at 1 hr and reported significantly less discomfort and bruising than 6 Fr patients. Good-quality diagnostic coronary angiograms can be achieved using 4 Fr catheters with the advantage of earlier postprocedural mobilization and reduced discomfort and bruising for the patient.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Acute severe thrombocytopenia after treatment with ReoPro (abciximab).

ReoPro (abciximab) is an extremely potent inhibitor of the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor, the final common pathway of platelet activation and aggregation. Its main role is the maintenance of coronary patency after suboptimal results with coronary intervention. However, one of the complications of this treatment is excessive bleeding, a problem which may be compounded by a rare idiosyncratic thrombocytopenic reaction. A severe episode of thrombocytopenia in a 64 year old man is described; he was treated with ReoPro for a right coronary stenosis which had not been resolved by angioplasty. His platelet level dropped quickly and only improved after 20 units of platelets were given.

Abciximab↗
PubMed1995

The Subcutaneous Heparin and Angioplasty Restenosis Prevention (SHARP) trial. Results of a multicenter randomized trial investigating the effects of high dose unfractionated heparin on angiographic restenosis and clinical outcome.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether 12,500 IU of unfractionated heparin given subcutaneously twice daily for 4 months after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty beneficially influences the subsequent rate of angiographic restenosis and the incidence of clinical events. BACKGROUND: Heparin has been shown to exhibit powerful antiproliferative effects against smooth muscle cells in several animal models. METHODS: A randomized trial with blinded data analysis was undertaken to assess the effect of unfractionated subcutaneous heparin on angiographic restenosis after coronary angioplasty. After successful angioplasty, patients were randomized to receive no heparin or 12,500 IU of heparin given subcutaneously twice daily for 4 months. Quantitative coronary angiography was performed before angioplasty, immediately after angioplasty and at follow-up ("early" [before 4 months] or electively [at 4 months]). RESULTS: The study group comprised 339 patients, 167 randomly assigned to receive heparin, 172 to receive no heparin. Repeat cardiac catheterization was performed in 90% of randomized patients. At early and elective restudy (mean 4.2 months), the mean +/- SD difference in minimal lumen diameter between the postangioplasty and follow-up measurement was -0.55 +/- 0.58 mm for the no heparin group and -0.43 +/- 0.59 mm for the heparin group (p = NS). Clinical events during the follow-up period did not differ significantly between groups: fatal myocardial infarction (1 patient in each group), coronary bypass grafting (5 patients in each group), repeat angioplasty (12 in the no heparin, 6 in the heparin group), angina at 4-month assessment (33% in the no heparin, 32% in the heparin group). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term treatment with high dose subcutaneous heparin (12,500 IU twice daily) for 4 months did not favorably influence angiographic or clinical outcome after coronary angioplasty.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗
PubMed1994

Monitoring anticoagulation following intracoronary procedures: which method?

We have assessed bedside kits for monitoring the activated partial thromboplastin time and the activated clotting time by comparing them with laboratory activated partial thromboplastin time values. To determine the accuracy of anticoagulation we have concurrently measured the plasma heparin concentrations, and plasma prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 concentrations. Serial samples were taken from patients undergoing elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (n = 14). Readings were taken pre-procedure, 30 min after administration of a heparin bolus (10,000 U) and 1, 2 and 3 h after commencement of a constant heparin infusion (15 U/kg/h) postprocedure. Activated partial thromboplastin time results obtained with the bedside kit compared reliably with laboratory values (r = 0.8), were rapidly available and were reflected by appropriate changes in prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 and heparin concentrations. However, the relationship between activated partial thromboplastin time values and activated clotting time was less precise (r = 0.59). Therefore, for routine and frequent monitoring of anticoagulation with heparin, a bedside activated partial thromboplastin time kit provides adequate control of therapy but in instances were particularly tight control of anticoagulation is required, use of prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 concentrations may be more appropriate.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗
PubMed1994

Anticoagulation after intracoronary stent insertion.

Stents rarely thrombose in the first 24 hours after implantation; secondly, heparin has some influence on the extrinsic pathway. Additionally, if too much heparin is present it interferes with the INR, and the half life of prothrombin suggests that the patient should be anticoagulated with heparin for up to 96 hours after starting warfarin. This is the evidence on which our standard protocol is based.

Anticoagulants↗
PubMed1994

The effect of different nitrate preparations on plasma heparin concentrations and the activated partial thromboplastin time.

There is evidence that intravenous nitrates which are frequently used in acute coronary syndromes may interfere with the anticoagulant effect of heparin. We compared the effect of two different nitrate preparations on the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), anti-thrombin III activity (AT III) and plasma heparin levels in patients (n = 50) undergoing routine percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) for stable angina. Patients were randomized to either: (1) intravenous heparin and nitroglycerin (GTN); or (2) intravenous heparin and isosorbide dinitrate. The APTT, plasma heparin concentration and AT III activity were measured before PTCA and at 2 and 4 hours after commencement of infusions. Both groups received identical doses of heparin. Group 1 patients received a constant dose of 16.6 micrograms/minute of GTN, and group 2 patients received 33.3 micrograms/minute of isosorbide dinitrate. At 4 hours the median APTT ratio was significantly lower in group 1 compared with group 2 (2.6 versus 4.5) (P < 0.05) as was the plasma heparin concentration (0.18 U/ml versus 0.32 U/ml (P < 0.05). However, no significant difference in APTT ratios or plasma heparin concentrations were noted at any of the other sample times. AT III activity was not significantly different between the groups at any sample time. Within-group analysis showed significantly lower APTT ratio and heparin concentrations at 4 hours compared with the respective 2 hour values. These results would suggest that there is a potential impairment of anticoagulation with low-dose intravenous nitroglycerin and to a lesser extent with low-dose isosorbide dinitrate. Early and frequent monitoring may therefore be appropriate when intravenous nitrates and heparin are used in combination.

Angina Pectoris↗
PubMed1993

Prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 concentrations for monitoring anticoagulation therapy with heparin.

We have compared the activated partial thromboplastin time with measurement of prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 concentrations (ELISA assay) during a 24-h period in a group of patients (n = 10) who had undergone elective coronary angioplasty and were anticoagulated post-procedure with heparin 1000 U/h. Four hours after the procedure all the patients were adequately anticoagulated according to activated partial thromboplastin time (median ratio 4.7:1) and the prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 concentration was significantly lower than pre-angioplasty values (0.5 vs 1.4 nmol/l, p = 0.04). At 24 h the median activated partial thromboplastin time ratio was still higher than the pre-procedure value (1.35 vs 0.9, p < 0.01), but the prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 concentration had risen to 2.1 nmol/l, with more variability in individual results within the patient group for the prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 concentration than for activated partial thromboplastin time (interquartile ranges (Q1, Q3) prothrombin fragment F1 + 2, 1.2-2.5; activated partial thromboplastin time, 1.2-1.5). The activated partial thromboplastin time is the standard method of monitoring the anticoagulant effect of heparin but may not fully reflect the functional coagulation status and accurately identify individual patients with less than adequate anticoagulation. Prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 concentrations may provide a more reliable indicator in individual patients of functional coagulation status in certain important situations where anticoagulation is critical such as following complicated coronary angioplasty.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗
PubMed1993

Pulmonary artery dissection in a patient with idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery: a rare cause of sudden cardiac death.

A 31 year old man presented with a left hilar mass. Thoracic tomography showed this mass to be the pulmonary artery, and subsequently idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery was diagnosed. He remained well until 11 years later when he died suddenly. Postmortem examination confirmed idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery with death due to pulmonary artery dissection and cardiac tamponade. It seems likely that idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery predisposed to fatal pulmonary artery dissection.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Assessment of myocardial perfusion and function using gated methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile scintigraphy to detect restenosis after coronary angioplasty.

BACKGROUND: Technetium-99m-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI) has been shown to be a useful perfusion agent, and its improved imaging characteristics also allow evaluation of myocardial function. We evaluated the use of gated MIBI scintigraphy in patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty to show improvements in myocardial perfusion and function and to detect restenosis. METHODS: Gated MIBI scintigraphy was performed in a preliminary study in 25 patients before angioplasty. Twenty-one patients who had undergone a successful procedure were re-examined 3 months later. Myocardial perfusion was evaluated and function measured using myocardial profiles along four axes. RESULTS: Before angioplasty, 18 out of 21 patients had a reversible perfusion defect, and computer analysis of fractional shortening showed 19 out of 21 had abnormalities of left ventricular function during exercise. Only 11 out of 21 had a positive stress test. Mean global fractional shortening before angioplasty was 27.3% at rest and 26.6% during exercise (not significant). After angioplasty, left ventricular function was improved during exercise, with global fractional shortening increasing from 26.6% to 32.7% (P < 0.001). Repeat angiography was performed in 16 patients. Lesions in four patients had restenosed, in 11 they had not, and in one a different artery was occluded. Three of the four patients with restenosed lesions were identified using repeat perfusion imaging, and all four from abnormalities in left ventricular function. An abnormality in a new region was detected using both methods in the patient with the new occlusion. Normal perfusion and function were found in nine of the 11 patients without restenosed lesions. Two patients continued to have a positive stress test: one with a restenosed lesion and one with new disease. CONCLUSION: Dual assessment with gated MIBI scintigraphy provides useful data in patients undergoing angioplasty and may help in the selection of patients for repeat angiography.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The effect of low dose nitroglycerin on plasma heparin concentrations and activated partial thromboplastin times.

We have investigated the effects of low dose nitroglycerin on the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), plasma heparin concentration, antithrombin III activity (AT-III) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) levels in a group of 42 patients receiving intravenous heparin and low dose nitroglycerin (GTN) following percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Venous samples were taken before PTCA and at 2, 4 and 24 h after the start of the infusions. Despite the heparin infusion being constant, the median APTT ratio (interquartile range) was significantly lower at the 4 h sample time compared to the 2 h sample time (4.4 [3.8-4.5] vs 2.6 [1.8-4.0], P < 0.05). At this time there was also a significantly lower median plasma heparin concentration compared to the 2 h sample (0.35 [0.2-0.7] vs 0.17 [0.1-0.3] P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in AT-III activity or PF4 levels at 4 h compared to the 2 h sampling time. In another group of patients (n = 20) who received intravenous heparin alone following PTCA also at 1000 U/h there were no significant differences in median APTT ratios (4.4 [4.3-4.5] vs 4.2 [2.9-4.5]), or in median plasma heparin concentrations (0.26 [0.14-0.96] vs 0.22 [0.18-0.87]) at 4 h compared to 2 h. Our observations confirm that nitroglycerin can interfere with the anticoagulant effect of heparin even at low doses. Although the exact mechanism involved remains unknown, this study suggests it is likely to be a result of a reduction in plasma heparin levels, perhaps through acceleration of normal heparin elimination.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗
PubMed1992

Gated technetium-99m methoxy-isobutylisonitrile perfusion imaging.

Technetium-99m methoxy-isobutylisonitrile, has been shown to be a useful perfusion agent for detecting coronary artery disease. Gated acquisition of perfusion images may remove motion artefact and improve detection. We compared the results of sensitivity and specificity for detecting coronary artery disease using perfusion images from the whole cardiac cycle (ungated) or from end-diastolic (gated) frames in 46 subjects, 31 with significant coronary disease and 15 with normal coronary arteries. There was no significant difference in detection of patients with coronary disease between the ungated and end-diastolic images: 25/31 with the ungated image and 28/31 with the end-diastolic. An improvement was made in detecting defects in the left anterior descending artery territory: 17/20 with the end-diastolic vs 11/20 with the ungated image (P less than 0.05) and in the right coronary artery region: 16/21 vs 10/21 (P less than 0.05), with an overall improvement in detecting regions supplied by stenosed coronary arteries: 45/55 end-diastolic vs 31/55 ungated (P less than 0.01). These results suggest use of the end-diastolic frame can significantly enhance the diagnostic capacity of methoxy-isobutylisonitrile perfusion imaging.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Cardiac failure secondary to hypocalcaemia of nutritional osteomalacia.

A 41-year-old Asian woman presented with mild congestive cardiac failure, initially controlled with a small dose of diuretic. Subsequently there was a marked deterioration in her condition with severe cardiac failure resistant to treatment. At this time biochemistry revealed a hyperphosphataemic variety of osteomalacia. Her cardiac failure improved promptly on correcting the hypocalcemia. Although hypocalcaemia is a recognised cause of cardiac failure it has not been described in privational osteomalacia.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Evaluation of changes in myocardial function on exercise in patients with coronary artery disease using gated MIBI scintigraphy.

Technetium-99m-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI) is a myocardial perfusion agent which allows simultaneous assessment of left ventricular function. We evaluated left ventricular (LV) function with exercise using a new method of myocardial profiling in 43 patients with chest pain. Twenty-eight had significant coronary artery disease and 15 were normal on coronary angiography. Results were compared to equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography. MIBI fractional shortening (FS) correlated well with ejection fraction (EF) on exercise (r = 0.79, P = less than 0.001). There was also a good correlation between changes in global function from rest to exercise (r = 0.82, P = less than 0.001) with a sensitivity of diagnosing CAD of 71% and specificity of 80%. New regional wall abnormalities were detected in 25/28 with CAD with a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 60%. There was also a close correlation between mean diameters measured with gated MIBI scans and volumes measured with RNV, end-diastolic diameter (EDD) versus end-diastolic volume (EDV) r = 0.78 (P = less than 0.001) at rest and r = 0.74 (P = less than 0.001) on exercise and end-systolic diameter (ESD) versus end-systolic volume (ESV) r = 0.72 (P = less than 0.001) at rest and r = 0.72 (P = less than 0.001) on exercise. This produced a sensitivity for detecting CAD of 79% and a specificity of 73%. These results show that gated MIBI scanning on exercise provides information comparable to RNV so enhancing the diagnostic usefulness of MIBI.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Gated 99Tcm-MIBI myocardial function imaging.

The introduction of the 99Tcm isonitrile perfusion agents has provided improved myocardial image quality with conventional imaging equipment allowing improved edge definition on gating. We evaluated left ventricular wall motion in 46 patients using gated 99Tcm-2-methoxy-2-methyl-isopropyl-1-isonitrile (MIBI) scintigraphy. Using a method of myocardial profiles in four axes, global and regional fractional shortening (FS) were assessed. A good correlation was found between FS in the left anterior oblique (LAO) 40 degrees projection and ejection fraction (EF) on gated radionuclide ventriculography (r = 0.81, P less than 0.001). This was improved by using FS in two planes, LAO 40 degrees and anterior (r = 0.88, P less than 0.001). There was also a good correlation between FS in two planes and EF on cine-angiography (r = 0.72, P less than 0.001). There was good intra- and interobserver agreement with the studies. Assessment of myocardial function using gated MIBI imaging and myocardial profiles provides useful additional information to the perfusion scan, thus enhancing the diagnostic usefulness of the agent.

Adult↗